Puppies living in deplorable conditions... stuck in puppy mills... being bred for cash without regard to their health.

We found these carrying diseases that could make you sick...and you won't believe who's running these operations in rural Wisconsin!

The rolling hills of North Central Wisconsin are quiet and rural. Many of the farms here are owned by Amish and Mennonite families. In recent years, though, they've traded in livestock for a more profitable crop: puppies.

We paid a visit to one of these puppy mills-- the Brubaker farm. We chose them because that farm recently sold a boxer puppy that tested positive for brucellosis, a dangerous and contagious disease.

"If I had a dog that was diagnosed with brucellosis, I most likely would euthanize it, simply because it's lifestyle, it's quality of life is going to be reduced, it's length of life is going to be reduced, and there is the chance of spreading it," veterinarian Dr. Franklin Lord told us.

Brucellosis is also known as Malta fever... and can be spread to humans.

So we went back to the Brubaker farm asking if there was another boxer for sale. First, we were told there were no animals old enough to adopt... and no boxers at all.

But then, Ella Mae offered to sell us one of the hundreds of dogs being bred at the farm. "I was just going to sell these today," she told us.

Before completing our purchase we were able to get a peek at the dogs' living conditions. The puppies are kept in very small wooden crates, several to a box. They're warehoused according to breed.

The conditions anger Eilene Ribbens Rohde at the Sheboygan County Humane Society. "To keep them in little bins and boxes... To breed the females until their spent out... Keeping the females in containers until they spin around out of frustration, this is not the way to treat man's best friend."

We decided to buy a cocker mix named Rocky. Ella Mae got $200 and we got a puppy that should never have been sold.

Almost immediately we discovered a problem with our new puppy. He's only five and a half weeks old. The experts say they should be at least eight weeks old before they're taken from their mother.

We then took little Rocky to the vet to see how his health was.

The answer: not so good. Rocky had lots of problems. He could barely walk because he was being raised in such tight quarters. He had an eye infection. And his nose was rubbed raw from living in that wooden crate. He also was extremely anti-social... and afraid of people.

We headed back to Brubaker farm to ask Ella Mae about the sick and injured puppies she's selling.

"So do you take precautions to make sure the dogs are healthy before you give them to people?" we asked. The answer shocked us.

"No. That's your responsibility to take them to the vet."

Did we hear right? "So you don't take any measures to make sure that the dog is healthy that you're selling to people?"

We got no response.

And what about that Boxer that is infected with brucellosis? Ella Mae told us to talk to the vet about that too, claiming it was not her responsibility.

She insisted her operation is not a puppy mill. But when we asked her to prove it, she said no.

Why? "My USDA inspector said that's a bad thing to do because you are carrying diseases," she said.

Meet Alvin Martin. He runs the biggest puppy mill in Clark County, Wisconsin. Ten different breeds are for sale.

Our producers tried to get in. No luck. And when we tried to ask him some questions, we didn't fare much better.

"You have the largest puppy mill in Clark County," we said.

"Let's call the USDA inspector. He will be out and we will take you through," Alvin said before grabbing the microphone.

That was the end of our conversation. But Eilene says the puppy mills have to be shut down.

"We've had animals come in that are rescued from the puppy mill. You see their spirits are broken. Their hearts are crushed. The way they're acting is because of the way they have been living."

We have gotten many phone calls about the puppies that have been in our pieces. All those dogs are now in good homes.

For more information about what you can do to fight puppy mills, follow this link:
No Wisconsin Puppy Mills

To find out who your state legislator is to complain, call 608-266-9960 or toll free 800-362-WISC.

To complain to the Governor's office, call 608-266-1212.